Dear Megan,
My mum accidentally pulled out a big chunk of her eyelashes with an eyelash curler! How long will they take to grow back? It seems like they’re taking forever! Can you help?
– Sophie Y.
Sophie, your mom is not alone. You and 2,400 other people are Googling this same exact question every month (crazy how the world works, right?). Hopefully I can give some insight on what to do to grow back those lashes, and hopefully never have to face this type of incident again.
How Long Eyelashes Need to Grow Back After a Lash-tastrophe
Time is an interesting thing. It seems to go incredibly fast when you don’t want it to, and slow as molasses when you want it to speed up. I’ve gotten a lot of emails from frustrated readers about the length of time it takes to make your eyelashes grow back. When you obsess over something it seems to take even longer!
So today, besides just answering your question, I am going to provide you with some different activities that your mom can accomplish through this process, to both put it in perspective and hopefully make it go faster.I’ll break it down by each phase of the eyelash growth cycle (which you can read more about here).
Hopefully this helps take your mind off your lashes growing back, and then before you know it your lashes will be back to their former glory!
The Different Phases of Eyelash Growth
Quickly, before we dive into each phase’s length and what you could do during that phase, let’s talk about the different phases of lash growth and their purposes. The eyelash growth phases are, in this cycle/order:
- Anagen: the growth phase
- Catagen: the transition phase
- Telogen: the resting phase
After telogen, we cycle back to anagen. Right now your mom’s lashes are probable in telogen, waiting to go to anagen. They make be stuck in telogen, because of the trauma of forcefully ripping them out via her eyelash curler.
Anagen Phase of Eyelash Growth (30-45 Days)
The generally agreed upon length of the eyelash’s anagen phase is 30-45 days, though Wikipedia makes it seem like it might be a bit longer. In any case, you can at least bet on it being 30-45 days.
During the Anagen phase of the hair growth cycle, you can learn to code! Just knowing how to read code can increase your employment options. This normally takes about a week to accomplish, so in a month you can be well on your way to writing code and creating content! There are tons of free sources online (like The Codecademy) that you can use to get started. You’ll be so focused on learning to code that you won’t have any time to think about your eyelash regrowth.
Beauty comes and goes–brains are forever.
Catagen Phase of Eyelash Growth (15-25 Days)
The Catagen phase is the shortest part of the hair growth cycle, so take this time to try out a new quick cleanse. Not only will you be doing right by your body, but eating certain foods can actually help with hair growth (read more about that here). Cleanses are definitely not a cure-all, and you should always be mindful of what you are putting into your body. But using this time to focus on healthy choices, instead of tracking your eyelash growth, can not only do wonders for you physically, but mentally as well. It’s easy to get frustrated when we aren’t seeing the results we want in a short time frame. But patience is key and the best thing you can do is take things as they come and roll with it. You can find more tips and tricks on quick cleanses here.
Alternatively — and this is what I’m more likely to do with my 15-25 days, since I can’t afford 3-5 “so cranky I can’t function days” — you can jumpstart a new, healthier diet without the cleanse. Clear out your cabinets and fridge. Focus on whole foods, as few ingredients as possible, and getting as close to nature as possible. In China, everything spoils in 2-3 days, so you can only shop a little at a time, keeping it fresh always. In the US, I tend to avoid the center aisles of the grocery store and only shop the outer walls of the grocery store, where all the freshest items are kept. 15-25 days gives you enough time to completely reset your eating habits. With a fresher diet, you will look and feel better, I promise.
Telogen Phase of Eyelash Growth (100 Days)
Alright guys. The last phase. The home stretch! Or maybe where you’re starting if you pulled out all your lashes! We’re almost there (just try not to focus on the fact that it’s longer than both of the previous phases combined). In 100 days you can do so many incredible things, but one of the most rewarding things you can do is train for a half marathon!Training takes about 15 weeks total so you should be more than adequately prepared by the time those lashes start coming through. For a beginners guide to half marathon training, check out this post from Runner’s World.
Conclusion: How Long Do Lashes Take to Grow Back?
By the time your lashes grow back you will have learned a very valuable skill (coding), done something great for your body (a quick cleanse or diet reset), and accomplished a goal on many people’s bucket lists (run a half marathon). Not only will you feel so much better about yourself, but you will have spent all that time putting your energy into something productive so that you won’t be bogged down by your lack of lash growth.
Another great tip for getting through the eyelash growth cycle? Incorporating a serum like WINK into your routine! WINK is especially helpful for those lashes stuck in the telogen phase (Read More about the science of WINK for lashes + brows here).
Now get out there, grow those lashes, and accomplish goals you never thought you could. I believe in you.
Final Comments: How to Avoid Another Lash-tastrophe
First of all, I’d point your mom in this direction: How to Curl Lashes the RIGHT Way (click here). Lash curler incidents are traumatizing enough–both for you AND your lashes. There’s no need to go through this again.
I’d also suggest picking up our WINK lash and brow enhancing oil (here) for your mom, for the next holiday. You can pay it forward, because listen… she needs you right now.
